Marriage Seasons 04 - Winter Turns to Spring (34 page)

Not only did Brad’s new life touch Ashley, but her memories of Mrs. Moore’s life began to take on even more significance. Her old purple Bible was filled with underlining and notes. Things she had thought important and worth remembering. Now Ashley saw their value too. She realized this strong trust in God was the thing she had loved most about her friend. Not the cooking and the laughing they had done. Not the bead sorting. Not the deep conversations or the encouragement. It was Mrs. Moore’s faith that made her so special. If such a woman wanted to live her life for Jesus, then Ashley felt she might want to do the same. But not for Esther’s memory—for her own present and future.

“Amen,” Brad finished, lifting his head.

Ashley echoed his affirmation. “Amen.”

CHAPTER TWENTEEN

Y
ou know what they say about Missouri,” Cody told Ashley as they stood outside Bless Your Hearth on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon in April. “If you don’t like the weather … uh, too bad.”

She laughed. “If you don’t like the weather, stick around, because it’ll change.”

“Okay.” He scratched his head. “I don’t get it.”

Cody rarely understood humor in the way others did, so this was nothing new to Ashley. She patted his shoulder. “Hey, what’s this I hear about you and Jennifer? Is it true?”

They were sipping punch as they waited in line outside a large white tent in the parking lot of Tranquility’s strip of little shops. For two weeks, Bless Your Hearth’s big spring celebration had been announced in the
Lake Sun
and the
Westside Star
. Pink posters dotted the windows of every store in the area. Tired of the harsh winter, people had turned out in droves to shop the sales and listen to Color of Mercy singing their gospel and patriotic music on a platform decorated with streamers. Those who so desired could have Pastor Andrew pray for a blessing on their baby or renew their wedding vows.

With evident trepidation, Brad had asked Ashley if she would be willing to stand with him and pledge their vows again in public. To her own surprise, she agreed and suddenly understood that it was what she wanted to do more than anything else in the world.

This had been the first part of Brad’s big anniversary plan, and Ashley was delighted.

“It’s true,” Cody announced proudly. He looked from Ashley to Brad, who had his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “You’re not the only one going to college. Jennifer is too, starting in the summer. She’s going to become a master, and I will be her subject.”

“Sounds serious,” Brad said.

“Jennifer is already a bachelor, which is not what you call a lady unless you’re talking about college. And now she’s studying autism, and I am going to be her guinea pig. Which is a lot better than chicken livers.”

“That’s for sure, dude.” Brad punched Cody in the arm. “Good for you.”

Ashley suspected her husband had no idea what Cody was talking about, but—as usual these days—Brad was working hard on his social skills. Along with everything else.

“Jennifer is going back to college for her master’s degree,” she explained to Brad as Cody set off toward the table where Miranda Finley was selling Ashley’s beads.

Brad brushed a curl of hair from Ashley’s cheek. “Jennifer’s still going to be working with you, though, isn’t she?”

Ashley reflected for a moment on the spare room that Mr. Moore and Brad had added onto the Haneses’ house. Maybe one day it would become a nursery, but for now …

“Yesterday as she was leaving, Jen let me know that she’s decided to help autistic adults,” Ashley told her husband. Though they were in the last group to renew vows, she didn’t mind. She had worn Brad’s favorite dress and a set of necklaces she’d made especially for the occasion, and she was enjoying the compliments of friends and neighbors—not to mention Brad’s obvious appreciation. Though Ashley had often thought of herself as gangly and unattractive in the past, his constant admiration was beginning to sink in.

“Autism,” Brad said. “That’s what Cody has.”

Ashley returned to the subject at hand. “It seems that way. Jen’s going to start classes at Missouri State University this summer, so she’ll know more soon. They agreed to let her develop strategies that can help improve the quality of life for people like Cody who missed out on an early diagnosis and intervention in school. He’s going to be her main subject of study.”

“First she says she’s going to be a missionary; then she’s part of your bead business. Now she’s going to work with autistic people? I thought Jen of all people would know exactly what God wanted from her. He didn’t change His mind, did He?”

Ashley shook her head. Despite the fact that it was a Saturday afternoon, Brad had dressed in a white shirt, a pair of indigo jeans, and a suit coat borrowed from Charlie Moore. He had made reservations for dinner at an expensive restaurant in Osage Beach, and he told Ashley he wanted the evening to be memorable for both of them. With his dark hair and bright blue eyes, Brad was, without a doubt, the handsomest man at the gathering.

Unable to resist, Ashley stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

“God doesn’t change His mind,” she whispered in his ear. “He knows everything. But Jen says God has plans we can’t even begin to guess.”

“Hmm. I guess that’s true.”

“Of course it is. She says God put her at the training center to teach her how to use language and how to handle life when it went in a direction she didn’t expect—like what happened to her in Mexico. Now she has a better idea of how it might feel to be autistic—scared, misunderstood, unable to communicate well, even taunted or attacked. She said autistic people feel like aliens in our world, and that’s how she felt when she left America. So, this was God’s plan the whole time.”

“Wow.” He touched her hair again. Then he whispered, “You know, I’m doing my best to listen to you, girl, but it’s hard when you look so darn hot.”

Blushing, Ashley glanced away and realized they had come to the head of the line. “Hey, it’s our turn.”

They stepped into the tent with a group of four other couples. When they spotted the candles and the small altar, they saw that Pastor Andrew was all business. He stood on a low platform as someone played a flute to one side. When the couples had gathered, he cleared his throat.

“The union of man and woman was ordained by God,” he began. “God said that for this cause a man should leave his parents and cling to his wife. Jesus, too, confirmed the blessing of marriage by performing his first miracle at a wedding. Now, in obedience to the Lord, please turn to each other, hold hands, and repeat your vows after me.”

When Ashley looked into Brad’s face, she saw that his eyes had filled with tears. His large hands held hers tightly as he spoke words of commitment. When he promised before God to be faithful to her for the rest of his life, Ashley couldn’t hold back her own emotion. While tears trickled down her cheeks, he slipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket and took out her diamond engagement ring. As he fitted it onto the third finger of her left hand, she murmured her vows.

“And now, husbands, you may kiss your wives,” Pastor Andrew intoned. “Ladies, give ’em a big one!”

Laughing, Brad and Ashley wrapped their arms around each other and kissed until the minister finally cleared his throat. Taking her husband’s hand, Ashley hurried them across the tent to the white lattice arbor where Mr. Moore took their picture.

“This one is going to hang by the front door,” Ashley said. “So we don’t forget.”

“Forget? I’m never going to forget this day!”

Ashley caught her breath in a gasp as Brad scooped her up off her feet and spun her around in circles. When he carried her out of the tent, a roar of cheering and applause arose. At first, Ashley thought it must be for her and Brad. Though their problems were hardly a secret, could the entire community know what they’d been through and how grateful they were to be starting anew?

But when Brad set her down, she spotted a billow of white lace, organza, silk, netting, and petticoats emerging from the front door of Just As I Am. As one, the crowd turned toward Rods-N-Ends, where a dapper gentleman in a top hat and tails had just stepped through the front door.

“Oh, my stars!” Patsy’s shriek came from behind the lacy pouf. “Someone hang on to my veil! This breeze is about to knock me off my feet.”

Ashley laughed in surprised delight as Patsy hurried toward the white tent. Her ample figure was enhanced by every imaginable doodad that could adorn a wedding gown—seed pearls, satin ribbon, cutwork lace, and bows galore. She tottered through the crowd on six-inch heels, waving her bouquet of white lilies, baby’s breath, and tendrils of ivy.

“Surprise, everyone! Surprise!” she called out. “Pete and I decided to get married today so you could all be here. Where is that man? Don’t tell me he decided to back out.”

She halted midway through the crowd and then squealed in delight. “Pete Roberts, is that you?”

“It’s me, baby doll! Let’s get hitched; what do you say?”

“You bet!” She turned to the gathering of people. “Come on, folks. Let’s go inside. There’s room for everyone, and you have to see this. It’s going to be the start of something wonderful!”

Discussion Questions

The principles and strategies illustrated in this novel are taken from
The Four Seasons of Marriage
by Gary Chapman. In this book, Dr. Chapman discusses marriage as a journey back and forth through different “seasons.”

• Springtime
  in marriage is a time of new beginnings, new patterns of life, new ways of listening, and new ways of loving.
  
• Summer
  couples share deep commitment, satisfaction, and security in each other’s love.
  
• Fall
  brings a sense of unwanted change, and nagging emptiness appears.
  
• Winter
  means difficulty. Marriage is harder in this season of cold silence and bitter winds.
  

1. In
   Winter Turns to Spring
   , which season of the year is it in Deepwater Cove, Missouri? Which season are Brad and Ashley Hanes experiencing in their marriage? How can you tell?
   
2. During the Bible study starting on p. 77, the men discuss their marriages and other relationships. Which season are Brenda and Steve Hansen in? Which season are Kim and Derek Finley in? How is Charlie feeling about Esther? What does he think of Bitty?
   
3. Have you ever had a mentor to help you learn a skill or in some other way? Who is Brad’s mentor? Who is Ashley’s mentor? How has each of these mentors influenced the young couple? Can you think of anyone you could mentor?
   
4. Strategy 1 in
   The Four Seasons of Marriage
   challenges couples to deal with past failures. Failure alone will not destroy a marriage, but unconfessed and unforgiven failure will. Couples are urged to identify past failures, to confess and repent, and finally to forgive. How has Brad failed Ashley? How does Ashley fail Brad? When does each of them identify their failure? When does each confess it? When do they forgive each other? How do Brad and Ashley deal with disappointments and failures at the start of the story? How do they handle them later in the book?
   
5. Strategy 2 in
   The Four Seasons of Marriage
   reminds couples of the importance of choosing a winning attitude. Dr. Chapman claims that a negative, critical attitude pushes you toward the coldness of winter, whereas a positive attitude, which looks for the best in your spouse and affirms it, leads to the warmth of spring and summer. At the beginning of the book, what evidence do you see that Brad and Ashley have allowed their attitudes to become negative and critical? What helps Brad begin to notice Ashley’s desirable qualities? When does she begin to be able to see her husband’s attractive attributes again?
   
6. Strategy 3 in
   The Four Seasons of Marriage
   encourages couples to discover and speak each other’s primary love language. The five love languages are (1) words of affirmation, (2) acts of service, (3) receiving gifts, (4) physical touch, and (5) quality time. What is Brad’s love language? How does he express it? What is Ashley’s love language? How does she express it? (See pages 9, 10, 61, 71, 133, and 261.)
   
7. Strategy 5 in
   The Four Seasons of Marriage
   urges couples to discover the joy of helping each other succeed. Practical ways to do that include (1) offering encouraging words, (2) taking supportive action, (3) providing emotional support, and (4) expressing respect for your spouse. What are Ashley’s dreams and goals? In what ways does Brad learn how to help her succeed? What are Brad’s goals? What are some ways Ashley learns to help him succeed?
   
8. Strategy 6 in
   The Four Seasons of Marriage
   encourages couples to learn to maximize their differences. In God’s plan, differences are designed to be complementary, not to cause conflicts. Practical ways to maximize differences include (1) identifying your differences, (2) looking for assets in your differences, (3) learning from your differences, (4) replacing condemnation with affirmation, and (5) discovering a plan for maximizing your differences. In this novel, what are some of the differences between Brad and Ashley in personality? in desires? in their needs? By the end of the book, what steps have they begun to take to learn how to make the most of the other’s uniqueness?
   
9. If you could tell the end of each character’s personal story, what would you say about Patsy and Pete? Brenda and Steve? Kim and Derek? Brad and Ashley? Charlie? Miranda? Cody? Jennifer? Bitty?
   

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Catherine Palmer lives in Missouri with her husband, Tim, and sons, Geoffrey and Andrei. She is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and holds a master’s degree in English from Baylor University. Her first book was published in 1988. Since then she has published over forty novels and won numerous awards for her writing, including the Christy Award—the highest honor in Christian fiction—in 2001 for
A Touch of Betrayal
. In 2004, she was given the Career Achievement Award for Inspirational Romance by
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
magazine. More than 2 million copies of Catherine’s novels are currently in print.